Bravery
by Siren Calling
Summary: You'd be surprised what thoughts run through your mind when you're staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. On Hiatus because I think it's not worth my time.
1. Chapter 1

Her footsteps had echoed ominously as she made her way through the house and into the living room. The room's dark blue wallpaper was peeling and the dead flowers on the side table did little to cheer the room up. Elizabeth rested a candle greatly disturbing the dust caking the wood. She frowned and lowered herself into a chair, ignoring the abnormal amount of dust that swirled about and the spider webs barely pressing against her skin and sending an unwelcome chill running up her spine. This room no longer comforted her.

Elizabeth had not expected the house to be so worn when she finally returned. The death of her father still tore into her as painfully as it had that first second of realization. . . but it was only this day that she had finally had the courage to return home. The word 'home' caused the room to blur slightly and made her cringe. This was only a house now. . . those who had made it anything more had long left this cruel world. . .

Wishing for a distraction--anything to keep her mind away from her father's death she cast a red eye toward the dying candle vaguely wondering how many seconds she would know until she too left this house and world forever. She wanted to laugh. Thinking of death so soon? She had time... But that thought was not a happy one... She was also alone. She rested her head against her palm and willed a deep sleep to come and claim her. . . But sleep refused to ease her pain that night and left her only dazed and barely conscious as she forced her eyes to stay closed. It soon became apparent that sleep wasn't coming and she opened her eyes to see two flames fighting for life in the darkening room. She sat up. Seconds later her gaze rested on a shadowy figure on the far side of the room. The candle on the table had melted considerably. . . She could make out no features... but the gun in his hand reflected the twin flames quite nicely.

The man (she could tell that much in the poor light) said nothing and gave no indication that he was going to come closer. Even so, she only dared to avert her gaze from him for a few seconds before noticing two very discouraging things. The first thing being that her chair was secluded and the nearest thing that would be of any use in this situation (which happened to be a heavily gilded candlestick.) was too far away for her to reach in time without her diving for it. . . and likely getting shot in the process. The realization of the second thing came quickly and greatly overshadowed the first. . . So much so that she winced at the dramatic irony of it. Even if she did manage to grab the candle stick she doubted it would do any good. . . It was not the unwelcome face of a familiar foe that came into focus . . . But that of the only man she had remorselessly murdered. . .

Elizabeth rose to her feet slowly. Her face remaining passive but her eyes had widened in fear. She hated the feeling. Hated it what it did to most people... But she admired the few who did well and were strong in spite of it... But dead was dead no matter how magnificantly one went.

She stepped toward the candle as he came forward. He made no move to stop as she continued to the table. She felt felt the gild-work cut into her skin as her fingers clenched around the candlestick in a vice like grip. But like she had feared it did little good and she was vaguely aware of the clunk it made on the floor as Jack closed the space between them alarmingly fast and shoved her against the wall, the muzzle of the gun pressed hard into her neck and forcing her head up. Inches from his face.

He cocked the gun and the click echoed in the room. His eyes were hard... made more so by the dark khol smeared thickly around them. She darkly noted the determined look he had set his features into. He was not smiling nor did he look as though he wished to say anything. But that was fine with her. She knew that if she opened her mouth right now it would likely result in him being even angrier. The cool metal of the gun rested against her forehead. They stood there like that-- Elizabeth trapped against the wall and Jack looking dangerously calm-- for a least a full minute before the silence finally shattered.

"Don't do this Jack." She said. If she was scared she was doing a marvelous job hiding it from him just then.

He tilted his head slightly. "Give me a reason not to." He said, dragging out the words. The sarcasm made her wince and the facade was broken.

". . . You're not yourself." She said firmly, her voice only a fraction higher than normal but still commanding.

" . . . Me?" He said surprised, smiling

"You're trembling Miss Swann. . ." He murmured slowly. . . And indeed she was. His left hand was gripping her shoulder very tightly and she could feel a bruise forming. . . She had struggled a bit and had begun to shake ever so slightly when his grip tightened even more. Suddenly she was angry.

"You're a bloody coward Jack doing this and you know it..." She hissed. She stopped speaking as abruptly as she had begun and settled for an unwavering glare. She willed herself to stop shaking in his arms and grew quiet. She had watched a shadow pass over Jack's face and observed with a morbid fascination as he released her and took a few steps back. For a quick moment a distant and forgotten part of her noticed how handsome he looked. The way his shirt hung on him. . . and the way he was standing completely at ease as if they were simply having a friendly conversation. . . Her mind wandered in that direction for another long second as she gazed at him. But she snapped out of it instantly when Jack flashed her a smug smile.

"I know, luv." He said softly, almost tenderly... but his eyes were whispering drastically different tale and so did the gun that he had raised toward her again.

For a split second a small part of her considered begging, crying, apologizing, _anything_ to stop what she knew was coming. But she didn't do any of those things and for the rest of her life was fiercely proud of that. She straightened her skirt slightly and rose to her full height, staring into his eyes calmly. Another second passed between them as Elizabeth composed herself.

"You don't frighten me anymore Jack. . ." And for an instant it appeared that he was reconsidering but then his eyes again grew cold and they narrowed.

She never heard the shot.

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**... I felt like rewriting the beginning ot this... it was really bugging me... ( ... the original version was horrible... I'm not sure if this is any better... (author's bias..) ... and the lack of reviews was a big hint that the orig. fic. wasn't very good... ah well... if you want to read the original version it's in chapter two in all it's glory... (sarcasm.)... I may continue this depending on how many reviews I get... So if I do continue it'll start in Ch. 3... if I think of any inturesting death scenes for E. (You know how it is... Or maybe you don't... you know those annoying Idea Demons that won't leave you be 'till you write 'em down...?) So if anyone has any suggestions or ideas... nothing _too_ violent though... **

**I DO NOT HATE ELIZABETH!! I just wanted to see if I could pull off Jack killing Elizabeth... and I've come to the conclusion that I can't... (at least not very well...) ... l **

**Any feedback appreciated... Flames welcome... Constructive criticism adored... ) ... Sure. Random comments also welcomed...**

** Lady of the Mirror...**

**(Author's Note left intact in next chapter...) **


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth frowned. Her scowl deepening considerably as she turned into an alleyway, dark thoughts churning around in her mind. She forced herself to slow down and breath normally. She made a sharp turn and headed toward the shore as the sun sank completely and a darkening twilight maliciously took hold of the sky.

She sighed, feeling the water gently lap at her feet. She looked down and watched the murky, cold water play about her feet and soak the hem of her dress. Impulsively she sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees gazing across the ocean her mind wandering considerably. Tired of moping Elizabeth stood and began the slow walk back home.

They only had one servant now as the other one had run off with the Baker's son. So the house echoed ominously as the door creaked open. She wandered into the parlour not feeling especially concerned about her wet clothing. She sunk down into a chair and rested her head against the palm of her hand willing her eyes to remain closed and sleep to come claim her wearied body. But sleep taunted her and left her in a heavily dazed state barely aware of even the chair beneath her. But the sound of a footstep _was_ noticed and she jumped in her seat and opened her eyes.

The only light in the carefully furnished room was a lantern resting on a table against the wall directly behind her. . . Consequently casting whoever held the gun in a deep shadow. Elizabeth was sitting completely up now and thinking very quickly about how to remedy this situation- preferably ending with this threat in a prison cell and Elizabeth smiling smugly. She only dared to avert her gaze from the man (she could tell that much in the semi-darkness) for a few seconds noticing two very discouraging things. The first thing being that her chair was secluded and the nearest thing that she could use in her defense (which happened to be a heavily gilded candlestick.) was likely too far away for her to reach in time without her diving for it. . . and likely getting shot in the process. The realization of the second thing came quickly and greatly overshadowed the first. . . So much so that she winced at the dramatic irony of it. Even if she did manage to grab the candle stick she doubted it would do any good for it was not an unwelcome face of a familiar foe that came into focus . . . But that of the very man she had remorselessly murdered. . .

He walked toward her his gun held loosely and she noticed with a shiver that it wasn't aimed at her temple but at her heart... She doubted if shot there that she would die instantly. Elizabeth slowly rose to her feet, careful to let little of her fear show through. Her face was as passive as she could make it but her eyes were wide and her right hand was clenched so tightly her knuckles had gone white and she was vaguely aware of the warm blood welling up in her palm and running over her skin till it dripped to the floor.

It was when he took a another step close that she threw herself to the right and felt the gild-work cut into her skin as her fingers clenched around the candlestick in a vice like grip. But like she had feared it did little good and she heard it land on the floor with a clunk as Jack closed the space between them alarmingly fast and shoved her against the wall, the muzzle of the gun pressed hard into the skin of her neck forcing her head up and inches from his face.

He cocked the gun and the click echoed in the room. His eyes were hard... made more so by the dark khol smeared thickly around them and she darkly noted the determined look he had set his features into. He was not smiling nor did he look as though he wished to say anything. But that was fine with her. She knew that if she opened her mouth right now it would likely result in him being even angrier. They stood there like that- Elizabeth trapped against the wall with Jack's gun now resting against her temple and Jack looking dangerously calm- for a least a minute before the silence broke.

"Don't do this Jack." She said with the tone of one who was used to being in such situations and being obeyed during them. If she was scared she was doing a marvelous job hiding it from him just then.

He tilted his head slightly. "Give me a reason not to." He dragged out the words and the sarcasm made her wince.

". . . You're not yourself." She said firmly, her voice only a fraction higher then normal but still manageing quite nicely to sound commanding.

" . . . Me?" He said surprised.

"You're trembling Miss Swann. . ." He murmured slowly. . . And indeed she was. His left hand was gripping her shoulder very tightly and she could feel a bruise forming. . . She had struggled a bit and had begun to shake ever so slightly when his grip tightened even more. Suddenly she was angry.

"You're a bloody coward Jack doing this and you know it..." She hissed. She stopped speaking as abruptly as she had begun and settled for an unwavering glare. She willed herself to stop shaking in his arms and grew quiet. She had watched a shadow pass over Jack's face and observed with a morbid fascination as he released her and took a few steps back. For a quick moment a distant and forgotten part of her noticed how handsome he looked. The way his shirt hung on him. . . and the way he was standing completely at ease as if they were simply having a friendly conversation. . . Her mind wandered in that direction for another long second as she gazed at him. But she snapped out of it instantly when Jack flashed her a smug smile.

"I know, luv." He said softly, almost tenderly... but his eyes whispered a drastically different tale and so did the gun that he had raised toward her again.

For a split second a small part of her considered begging, crying, apologizing, _anything_ to stop what she knew was coming. But she didn't do any of those things and for the rest of her life was fiercely proud of that. She straightened her skirt slightly and rose to her full height, staring into his eyes calmly. Another second passed between them as Elizabeth composed herself.

"You don't frighten me anymore Jack. . ." And for an instant it appeared that he was reconsidering but then his eyes again grew cold and they narrowed.

She never heard the shot.

* * *

**I know that Jack is tremendously out of character in this 'fic... and that my writing isn't very smooth. I just wanted to see if I could write a fic where Jack killed Elizabeth. . . and this is what I've come up with. . . I had trouble writing Elizabeth and she's probably OOC as well... ( unfortunately. . . but any reviews are appreciated and I'll do my best to reply! ) So please review.**

** --Lady of the Mirror  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth paced back and forth used to the sway of the Pearl as the magnificent vessel cut her way through the dark waters. At the moment she was alone on the deck. Goosebumps had risen on her arms because of the chill in the air and her clothes were stiff, chaffing her skin and smelling like the sea and whatever else she'd come in contact with in the last few weeks. She let her hair down and raked her fingers through it trying to break apart the clumps. She was repulsed by her own stench now. She had long held the opinion that people who didn't bathe often were, to be frank, stupid... and if that included most of the known world she was fine with that. But that was something she rarely thought about these days. Right now her thoughts were with the man she'd just went to the ends of the world and beyond for. Jack Sparrow.

Guilt. That was the _logical_ explanation for the knot in her stomach. But she knew herself well enough to know that it wasn't guilt she had been feeling lately. If anything, she was much more upset over the pain she could see in Will. But still, inexplicably, it wasn't Will living in her thoughts but the disturbing enigma that was Jack Sparrow. Oh no, no, no. She definitely wasn't guilty. She would kill him again in a heartbeat if she had to... but that still didn't change the fact that she hadn't been able to look the man in the face again or even be near him without her heart beating faster, her stomach knotting, and what felt like ice run down her back, scraping to the marrow with its intensity. She was always aware of him.

She finally stopped her pacing and leaned against the rail peering into the sea as the waters swirled and danced before dashing themselves against the wood of the Pearl. She didn't see it though, she was too busy thinking about _him_. Again. The locker had changed him. He didn't talk as much, his eyes were clouded, and he ignored her whenever he could get away with it. So she was very surprised when she felt harsh cloth brush her arm and a long sigh broke the silence.

"Bit late for you to be out... isn't it?" He said, his voice low and melancholy to her ears.

She didn't bother responding and kept staring into the sea, puzzling over the strange turns her life was determined to take. The silence lengthened uncomfortably. Elizabeth stole a glance at Jack, instantly regretted it and screamed at herself inside when their gazes locked. He had an odd look on his face. The expression wouldn't have been bizarre on any other face in the world but she had never seen the man look so serious and determined before. It was like diving into an ocean and finding yourself sinking in quicksand. It simply didn't happen. Ever.

Meanwhile, Jack had turned away and was staring hard at something in his hands. Elizabeth leaned further over the railing thinking that if she ignored him long enough he would go away. Preferably as far away from her as the size of the Pearl permitted. He never did though.

_To be continued_.

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**Sorry about the sudden stop. O.O I changed my mind about what I wanted to happen next.**

**So now I have a lot of rewriting to do. ) Wish me luck. Oh and review if you feel like it. ) I'd appreciate it. I don't care what you say... a pointless comment, criticism, or something random about tacos, _anything_... ) REVIEWS MAKE MY WORLD GO ROUND! )**

**... Any suggestions, random ideas? I need 'em! OO Seriously. I do.  
**

**Lady of the Mirror**


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